Reputation for a CT breeder

[ldewald]

Howdy Chinparents,

I've been researching like crazy and am in the processes of amassing all my chin supplies to prepare for 2 new chins, targeting springtime adoption.

I wanted to ask if anyone on here has heard of the breeder I've been in contact with and if so, what's her reputation?

Here is her website: http://poetrue.tripod.com/chinchillas/

In my conversations with her she seems very knowledgeable and said that shes competed in many shows with her chins and done pretty well. I was just really surprised when I went to visit that the conditions were so vastly different from the spoiled pet chins I've seen on here. For example, overcrowding, wire wheels or no wheels at all, no our of cage playtime.

I'm located in West Hartford, CT so she's extremely (~15 mins) close to me, but if needed I could definitely drive anywhere in New England for pick up.

Thanks for your input!

 

[Chinmama]

She used to be a member here, and may still be.

You'll find that most larger breeders do not spoil their chinchillas with large cages, wheels or out of cage playtime. They have too many chinchillas and not enough space or time for that. It doesn't mean they are any less loved or cared for, they are simply breeders instead of spoiled pets.

 

[RDZCRanch]

You're in for a big shock if you expect breeders to keep their chinchillas in big ferret nations with fleece items all over the place.

Poetrue is a member on here and she is a well known breeder, not a BYB or neglectful. I don't believe she overcrowds any of her cages. Chinchillas don't need a huge amount of space. It is a personal preference of the owner. Also, when you have young chinchillas, you can fit a heck of a lot of them in a small cage and they actually do better. They are a social animal and weaning is a tough time for babies. I always wean in groups and I know Poetrue does as well.

Out of cage playtime, IMO is unnecessary and dangerous. I can't begin to count the number of owners that call me because their chin was out running around and got stepped on, ate something bad, etc. For breeding animals, out of cage playtime is outright irresponsible. You have a female that needs less stress and needs to retain weight for the birth and instead have her running around burning off all the calories her babies need? Not to mention the chance of her doing a flying leap and landing on something to harm the babies in early pregnancy.

 

[Riven]

That's what I was going to say... Over crowding would be 2-3 females in a hole of a breeding run. I keep colonies of 4-5 animals in a 1/2 of a critter nations, they're happy and healthy.

 

[CTChin]

I was just at Cheryl's and her chins are well taken care of! All her cages are large and clean. Most of her chins are kept in groups to keep each other company.

She IS currently trying to get down on her numbers. It's hard when you are a breeder that shows and you need to hold on to the youngsters until you can tell their quality.

I'd snatch up several of her chins if I had the room and money. The ones I have gotten from her are always friendly.

 

[CTChin]

That's what I was going to say... Over crowding would be 2-3 females in a hole of a breeding run. I keep colonies of 4-5 animals in a 1/2 of a critter nations, they're happy and healthy.

She doesn't use runs for most of them. Hers cage are two and three story.

 

[EMSChins]

The cages used for breeding animals is vastly different than for pets! It is designed that way for ease of breeding but also for the safety of pregnant/nursing females as well as small kits. Imagine a couple day old kit not being able to reach a mother sitting on a ledge or running on a wheel, way out of it's reach for warmth and nutrition! Imagine that same kit falling from a height the equivalent of a small skyscraper when it decides to climb to the top of a Ferret Nation. I could go on but I am sure you get the point. Cheryl is a well known and respected breeder. She does show her chins and does quite well at shows.

 

[Chinmama]

As a pet only owner, I was surprised when I saw breeding cages for the first time. Of course I understand the reasoning - but I can see how someone new to chinchillas could see it as unacceptable.

This forum has a lot of breeders and a lot of pet only owners but a lot of what we see here are pictures of ferret nations and critter nations all decked out with fleece and ledges and houses and wheels and toys galore. There aren't too many breeding run pictures. We see all these mesmerizing pictures and are under the assumption that's the only acceptable way for a chinchilla to live. Heck, both of mine have Quality Cage Mansions all to themselves and I find myself feeling like they are neglected after seeing some of these cage pictures...lol.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

Ditto to what everyone has said. Wheels and out of cage are NOT recommended for breeding chins. I have not seen Cheryl's herd but I am willing to bet a BIG sum that her chins are NOT over crowded. She has an EXCELLENT reputation in the chin world. You would not go wrong getting a chin from her - I believe you would be very happy with a chin you got from her.

 

[jags]

I have know Chery for many years. Her animals always do well at the shows and she always is a hard worker helping out with the shows. I understand how pet owners see things differently from breeders as I have had more than a few people surprised when they visit here. The way I look at it is if it works for you and the animals a healthy and not in harms way then you are doing fine. Everyone has there own way of doing things and not even all of us breeders agree on how it all should be done yet alone all the pet owners too.

 

[Pookinaround]

Pet owners and breeders are two ENTIRELY different ends of the spectrum when it comes to how they keep their chinchillas. Many people are also extremely shocked when they see a chin being groomed for the first time too...because they are held up by their tails but what many do not realize is that this does not hurt them a bit. Keeping chins in small spaces without all the amenities of many people's pet cages doesn't bother them either. It is humans who this bothers not the chins... Poetrue is a GREAT breeder and you would be fortunate to have one of her animals! I personally just put a deposit on one of hers myself. Can't say enough nice things about her!

 

[ldewald]

Thank you all so much for your quick responses! I'm so happy to hear the affirmations about Cheryl because I really had a great impression of her after visiting.

I just wanted to consult the community here after reading about the effects of bad breeding and supporting BYBs. I also appreciate the sympathetic comments because after all my efforts to research everything that is chin as thoroughly as possible, I still had very disparate expectations for the whole breeder scenario compared to all the FN dream cages.

So glad to have the CnH seal of approval and to know that I'm getting some very high quality chin babies!!

:thanks10:

 

[poetrue]

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who commented on my behalf!

Laura - Please feel free to ask me any questions you want about my setup, chinchillas, or breeding in general and I'd be happy to answer them, you have my contact information

Cheryl